How To Shine Your Shoes

In this dismal economy, we all want to save money, and an efficient way to do so would be to learn how to shine your shoes. Doing this task yourself will save you a bundle, so let's get to it!

Materials Needed:

The pair of shoes you wish to shine

A shoeshine brush

A damp cloth or damp paper towels

One can of wax or cream shoe polish

A shoe polish brush

A clean cloth or old tee shirt

A cheap, disposable toothbrush

Clean your shoes. The best course of action when learning how to shine your shoes is to first concentrate on getting them clean. Use a shoeshine brush to remove all excess dust. Then, take a damp cloth or damp paper towels and wipe all remaining dirt and dust from the shoes.

Match the color. When selecting a polish with which to shine your shoes, choose a can of polish that most closely matches their color. You may use either wax or cream shoe polish.

Polish the shoes. Shine your shoes by using a shoe polish brush and applying a light amount of polish by brushing in a circular motion. If desired, you can stabilize the shoe when you shine your shoes by wrapping your non-dominant hand in an old tee shirt or clean cloth, and inserting it into the shoe.

Get in the creases. Grab an old toothbrush out of the cabinet, or buy a cheap one specifically for this purpose, and use it to gently brush polish into the creases and hard-to-reach areas, to make sure you do a thorough job when you shine your shoes.

Air dry. After you shine your shoes, allow the shoes to air dry for about 30 minutes.

Brush. Use the shoeshine brush to brush off excess dried polish.

Buff. Finally, use an old tee shirt or a clean cloth to buff the shoes until they shine, using a circular motion.